One more puff please.

Addiction = Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance.

It's scary to think that something, anything, whether it be alcohol, gambling, or cigarettes could become an enslaving habit. All it takes is that first sip, rolling of the dice, or a single puff, and before you know it you're addicted.

I was in Michigan this past weekend at my parents house. I noticed a sudden deterioration in my father's health. At 48 years of age he is having a bit more trouble breathing than the average healthy 48 year old. Why? Because he smokes. Only god knows how long he has been smoking but all I can say is its been a very long time and it's catching up to him. I worry. I worry a lot for him. I have tried everything in the book to try to make him stop, I have been doing so since I was 10 years old. But still he has not kicked the habit. Is a damn cigarette more important than me?

I know it's easier said than done. Not only are you psychologically dependent on it, you're also chemically dependent on it. But in either case there are ways to stop. I hear stories of people's life taken away by lung cancer, emphysema, COPD, etc. And these people were all young and smoked. I wish there was something I could do to make my father understand that he is no different, it could take his life as well. There are times I have caught him wheezing and having a hard time breathing, and still it makes no difference to him. Who ever thought that something so small could literally take over your life. Something must be done before it's too late.

It scares me. Scares me that I may lose my father over a filthy cigarette.